LABOUR CANDIDATE QUITS AFTER TWEET

A Labour candidate for next year's Westminster election has resigned and apologised "unequivocally" after she tweeted a picture of the Hitler Youth.

Kathy Wiles, who had been selected to fight the Angus constituency in next year's general election, appeared to tweet an image of a group of children standing under a flag with an eagle and a swastika on it.

The post on the social media site Twitter came after children were pictured at a pro-independence demonstration outside BBC Scotland's Glasgow headquarters on Sunday.

She said today that she had been attempting to "make a point about the dangers of using young children in political campaigns".

Ms Wiles posted on Twitter: "I tweeted a picture on Sunday which has caused offence, for which I apologise unequivocally.

"My intention was to make a point about the dangers of using young children in political campaigns, not to make any inference about those in the photo.

"Again, my apologies."

The Scottish Labour Party confirmed it had accepted Ms Wiles's resignation as the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate in Angus.

A spokesman said: "We believe that Kathy Wiles has taken the right decision to withdraw in Angus and we will move swiftly to get another candidate in place.

"The debate about Scotland's future should be held in a respectful and positive way and we will take robust and immediate action if any of our members fall below these standards."